Hercules pleased with Harpy Eagles’ response, calls for better conversion and discipline

By Michelangelo Jacobus

Guyana Harpy Eagles Head Coach Ryan Hercules says he is encouraged by his team’s response under pressure following their opening-round win over Windward Islands Volcanoes, but has called for improvement in key areas as the Regional Four-Day Championship continues.
Reflecting on the performance, Hercules noted that the side showed resilience in recovering from a first-innings deficit to secure the result, highlighting the team’s mindset as a defining factor.
“Pretty much pleased with the guys in terms of how we bounced back, especially in that second innings,” Hercules said. “That has been one of the strengths of the Guyana Harpy Eagles over the past few years… to have that steady mindset to go out there and cross that hurdle and get the job done.”
He acknowledged that the contest was not straightforward, pointing out that both teams had periods of control, but stressed the importance of starting the campaign with a win given their status as defending champions.
“It was not a straightforward match, but that is how cricket is… it was good to get that win for the first game of the tournament. It was important that we start off well,” he added.
Hercules singled out the contributions of Gudakesh Motie and the second-wicket partnership between Tevin Imlach and Matthew Nandu as decisive moments in the match, describing them as the turning point in the contest.
“For me that was the turning point… Motie getting 10 wickets and the partnership between Imlach and Nandu was very crucial,” he said, emphasising that the result reflected a collective effort rather than reliance on individual brilliance.
“There is no one-man team… there are still some guys who could have gone on. It is a pretty well-balanced side and we look forward to different persons putting up their hand each game.”
Despite the positive outcome, Hercules pointed to missed opportunities with the bat, particularly the failure to convert starts into substantial scores.
“Definitely some missed opportunities… persons got starts but we need to convert those into centuries,” he explained. “That is important to help the team push further in games.”
From a bowling standpoint, he also highlighted the need for greater discipline with the new ball, especially in the first innings, while noting that there was improvement later in the match.
“Being more tight up front with the new ball, challenging the batters a bit more… I think in the second innings we bounced back well,” Hercules said, pointing to the early breakthroughs that helped shift momentum.
Looking ahead, Hercules said the focus would remain on consistency and execution, with the expectation that different players would step up as the tournament progressed.
In team news ahead of the second round, fast bowler Shamar Joseph has been drafted into the squad to replace Raymond Perez, who suffered a dislocated shoulder in the opening match and is expected to be sidelined for at least three weeks.
Meanwhile, Tagenarine Chanderpaul who was struck on the finger in the first innings and batted down the order in the second innings, has been cleared to play the second match.
Guyana will face Windward Islands again from Sunday at the Antigua Recreation Ground in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.